How To Build First Aid Trauma Kits (Refuge Medical Kits Overview)

1:24 - Small of Back medical kit
3:33 - IFAK
7:11 - Adventure Kit
15:57 - Wound care kit

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[AmbuBadger]

Paramedic here.
•I like to use 4×4 sponges and 4" gauze rolls for the majority of my kit since it'll handle most of your needs. A gauze roll can keep burnt fingers spread apart, held in a fist to stabilize a broken hand, anchor a breathing tube or impaled object in place, and will hold a dressing or IV access loop in place regardless how sweaty or hairy your pt is. The 4×4 sponges are cheap, and for long-term care, you can put the sterile dressing against the wound while using clean towels to absorb the discharge, saving your supplies.
•Pack your supplies with a vacuum sealer-- I even make "kits", like an anticeptic wipe + 4×4 + gauze roll for abrasions, the same with butterfly sutures for lacerations, etc. Everything stays waterproof, packs flat, and can be handed out to someone else if there's multiple pts.
•For airway, pack NPAs instead of OPAs since conscious casualties can take it up the nose better than down the throat.
•If space is tight, carry a child BVM with an adult mask; you can flip the mask upside down for pts with smaller faces, and you don't need that much air volume anyway.
•If you have suture kits and want to practice, you can order "practice" kits off Amazon or eBay, and try your hand on a piece of raw chicken or pork.
•Headlamps. They look dorky until you need one.
•The only tape I carry is 3M Transpore and duct tape. That'll cover most needs.
•If you carry saline, 2 × 500cc beats a single liter bag all day.
•Those stupid mylar space blankets aren't stupid. If your casualty gets cold, they start to lose their ability to clot. If they're bleeding internally, their own clotting factor may be all you have to save them until help arrives.
There's a ton more info to write, but take this for now. I hope to get back to teaching again, but this'll have to suffice. Above all, _learn_ what you're carrying and _know_ how to use it.

[StuffWithSteve]

I had the pleasure of learning from Bear and Phelps in Philly for 2 days this summer. I've taken stop the bleed, CPR/AED, first aid and a ton of other courses of the years but none compared to the those 2 days. During a cigar break, I spoke with Bear about my concerns of mildew growth on my Bearfak that I keep in my turnout gear at my firehouse. He thanked me for the feedback and offered to vacuum seal it for free. Low and behold, I received it back perfectly sealed and no longer need to worry about mildew/mold growth on the pouch itself or nasty fire retardant foam getting into the contents.

10/10, would recommend all of their products and classes. Looking forward to seeing them again next year for more intensive training when it's available!

[jsbadger]

I have a Gen 1 BearFAK, a Gen 2.5 Bear Minimum, and a S.T.U.D. kit, and a fair number of tourniquets. I myself cannot recommend any and all kits from Bear Independent/Refuge Medical/Refuge Training enough. Very well thought out, built, and sourced. The bags themselves for many of the kits are hand sewn here in the US (SewJournGear). Bless you for this review! Go Bear Nation!

[BigRigRich]

I just ordered several items from refuge. All the reviews I’ve seen, including yours, have been excellent.

I did use my HSA card to pay for it, which was advantageous monetarily.

[jory]

I have 4 of the Bear Ifaks separated throughout my apartment my car my EDC and my bug out bag and 3 wound bucket for at home use for emergencies only. The people at Refuge medic have gone above and beyond with their kits and their medical gear I haven't gotten the chance to take any of their training courses but hopefully here soon I will get to.

[shadetreeprepper]

Great items, I’m a nurse and you are so right in a SHTF you need these items! Outstanding wound care bucket! Thank you for the information and place to get this. 👍🏼

[claytonlingo]

This is awesome. So glad y’all are supporting one of the most genuine dudes on this platform. Major respect

[The-Grateful-Hippie]

My husband got a wood splinter in his hand back in March. We did all the home care we could do and it still became infected within a week. He had to have his hand operated on and thankfully has made a full recovery. Things I would add to the bucket kit, given my previous wound care experience. 10% iodine solution - several bottles. We were doing a 10pt water to 1 part iodine soak 2x a day. Vaseline bandages
can keep other gauze from sticking to the open wound but still allow it to drain. Coban or vet wrap can help hold bandages on inconvenient areas. Dressing tape - lots of it because rolls get dropped and misplaced. Several plastic shopping bags for disposal of bloody bandages and the large amount of trash you will have after opening several bandages. Be mindful of anyone in your group that has a latex allergy. Last thing you want during a crisis is to have another emergency.

[clarkkent]

Got it…. Have the tools to repair holes in the body and keep the red stuff on the inside of your body as often and as quickly as you can. VERY valuable info. I agree quality products are also key. Thanks!!!

[kriskemp]

I’m an ER doc. I run a flight service, an ambulance agency for a large county, work with SAR, and am on a SWAT team. These kits are good. The smaller 2 kits are ideal for mobility. It would require more advanced training to fully exploit the larger kits.

[Carepedoit]

My Dad, a Corpsman, used the third kit in Vietnam! I still have it—but as you can imagine, it needs to be refreshed. I am so glad you posted this.

[bendanglin]

Besides a nasal pharyngeal tube, I suggest getting an oral pharyngeal airway kit for about $6 / Large adult to infant sizes. Easy to pack. Also consider Celox hemostatic granules for massive bleeds. Pours directly into wounds.

[csview]

I own a few of these. Great product.

And also see what you did there. Good on you for supporting others. Class act all around. You def didn't have to, but glad you did 👍🏾👏🏾

[Acoustic_Operator]

I have a SOB kit from Refuge Medical and keep it in the back seat of my car and on me when i’m shooting. Get training to learn to use your kit. I’m glad i did.

[redbullfuel]

At the time of this posting, the Bear Fak has saved 26 lives. It is deployed on 4 continents with all branches of the armed services. More lives have been saved in motor vehicle accidents then on the battle field of Afghanistan and Iraq.

[aspitofmud]

I find what I use the most are the large elastic fabric bandaids. Kids love them but the moms freak out when they see them.
Perfect!

[susankerr]

I have one of the Adventure-type bags that I keep in the house and take with me if I'm going to be on the road. The safety detail at my mom's church has a number of these as well. It's amazing what you can fit into one of them! I tend to use the smallest "first compartment" as a boo-boo bag; the medium-size middle compartment as a "bleed bag" with tourniquets, Quikclot, Israeli dressing, Lister shears, surgical sponges, etc., stowed in it; and the third "big" compartment has all the extra gauze, ab pads, OTC meds, emergency blanket, etc. All compartments contain at least two pairs of nitrile gloves.

[JohnA.FJr]

Great video. Need more like these brother. I have several kits from Refuge Medical. My EDC bag, battle belt, plate carrier and Emergency bags. Top of the line products.

I've been looking into the med bucket. Thanks again.

[jenniferpray]

Thank you for this video. I would add a pulse ox (they’re small) and thermometer to help assess the breathing/circulation interventions.

[JeanetteIsabelle]

I have many of the items you listed in the medical kit I customized or have separately. Some of the components I have (which you have not listed) are an eyewash, activated charcoal, and a dental kit.

On the other hand, I don't have sutures, not yet at least, and hydrogen peroxide. My issue with hydrogen peroxide is its short shelf life, and I already have other means for cleaning.